Harry Potter and Regius de Astralis
by Acacia Jules
Summary: Harry’s fifth year looms, odd things start to occur. Fleur returns to teach at Hogwarts. What if Harry had a fate not even Dumbledore knew of. Prophecy tells of a coming War and a King who can deliver them all from evil with a heir of le Fay by his side
1. Siriusly In Need of Help

**Title**: Harry Potter and Regius de Astralis  
**Name**: Jules  
**Rating**: PG-15   
**Disclaimer**: Obviously, I don't own any of the characters, no matter how much I WISH I did. They belong to the wonderful J.K. Rowling  
**Classification:** (Drama, Humor, Action/Adventure, Romance)  
**Summary**: As Harry's fifth year approaches, strange things begin to happen. Fleur returns to teach at Hogwarts as promised. What if Harry had a destiny not even Dumbledore knew of? A prophecy tells of a coming War, and of the Mage who will deliver them all from evil, with an heir of Le Fay by his side to set wrongs right long ago committed. Harry, Fleur, Sirius  
**Status**: Unfinished

**Harry Potter and Regius de Astralis  
**_By Jules_

_**Chapter 1  
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_**Author's notes**: Ok, let me think. Well, this is an AU, for one, I wrote this well over a year ago (in July 2002), it's just that I'm only now getting around to typing it (yeah, yeah, I know, I know. _

_I HAVE read the Order of the Phoenix, and I'm not ashamed to say, that I was very disappointed in it. It didn't live up to my expectations. The writing was weaker then the last books, and well, I'm just still in shock. Any of the other characters, I could have been able to take, ANY OF THEM. I'm not saying what happened, but those of you who have read the book you know what I'm talking about. _

_Anyway, this takes place right after the Goblet of Fire (so it's post-4th year). It's quite angsty, and its REALLY UC (Unconventional Couple, and it's got some MAJOR fantasy in here.) I hope you all like it. _

_I make up my own rules here. That means, what I say goes. Why? Because it's **my** universe and I can do what ever I damn well please with it . . . thank you. Not that I change the essential Potter universe rules. I'll pretty much follow the first four books. Most of the time. _

_I will eventually write out a Character 'sourcebook', to explain out how all the characters match with their past lives. I have it written out, but it's just not typed up. I'll probably post it on my website, and have a link or something._

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**Surrey, England  
****July, 1995 **

The neighborhood _looked_ just like any other in England, and it's house just like any other normal house . . . though _perhaps_ it was just a _bit_ neater than most. Anyone who might look wouldn't be able to tell by looking at the house that numerous protection spells had been placed upon it and the surrounding area.

It looked very normal and orderly on the inside too, though the pictures that lined the walls and mantles showed no sign of the very boy for whom those precise protection spells had been placed. He was currently residing in the smallest bedroom of the house, behind a locked door to which only his Aunt and Uncle had the key.

The boy's name was Harry Potter, and though he was 14, practically 15, he was unusually small for his age, due to malnutrition throughout his childhood, because his relatives loathed his very existence and attempted to starve him. Vernon and Petunia Dursley had always treated him like dirt, ever since he'd arrived on their doorstep 14 years before with just note and a scar on his forehead, a result of the attack by Voldemort on his parents, both of whom had died trying to protect him. For _10 years_, he had lived in the cupboard under the stairs. His uncle had knocked him around a bit, his cousin a lot, but as soon as his letter came, the beatings had stopped.

Or they had. Until this summer that was.

It seemed that the threat of Harry's convict godfather no longer rang true for Vernon Dursley, and after the events of last summer, he had decided it was time to teach the boy some manners once more.

So that was how Harry found himself once again spending his days, doing backbreaking "chores" from a list given to him every morning. He had seen the evil gleam in his uncle's eye when he'd gotten picked up at King's Cross, so he was doing his damnedest to do everything on the lists everyday.

It had been three weeks, and so far, he'd escaped unscathed. Vernon was not pleased, so he kept having Petunia cut back on Harry's food supply. Harry had noticed this a week and a half ago, and he was getting quite nervous, because it was getting harder and harder to stay conscious while doing his work, especially outside. At night, his nightmares were constantly waking him so he was only getting four hours of sleep a night, _tops_. As a consequence, the likelihood of Harry being able to keep up the pace he had been were quite slim.

In the short time he'd been back from Hogwarts, he'd already begun to return to his emaciated look of the previous summers, but the onset was coming on much more quickly this year. On top of that, his eyes held a haunted look lately, and seemed dimmed, not to mention the dark circles under them.

Harry quietly made breakfast for the Dursleys' and was given a single slice of burnt toast for himself.

He ate quickly; in effort to steer clear of doing anything that would upset them, washed the dishes, and then accepted his daily chore list from Uncle Vernon. He risked a quick look up, and the gleam in the man's eye shook Harry. He didn't know what to do, but averted his eyes and hurried outside.

As he worked, Harry contemplated his situation and his limited options. Around noon, while he weeded the garden for the second time that week, he realized that his only option was to write Sirius. And if _he_ couldn't help, Harry was leaving. It was more dangerous in _this house_ than it was outside the wards he was _positive_ were set up around the area to protect him from the Death Eaters. He could escape the Death Eaters, or fight them if he had to. He'd done it before. In this house though, he was trapped, with no way to fight back.

That night, Harry sat at Dudley's old broken desk with a piece of parchment and an eagle-feather quill, writing to his godfather via the meager light of the small lamp across the room next his bed. It had been a very difficult letter to write. He really hated to bother Sirius and there was that immense fear in Harry's heart that Sirius would over-react if he said something wrong . . . .

_Dear Padfoot,  
__I really don't want to be writing this, but the situation  
__here at the Dursleys' isn't very good. In fact, to be honest  
__conditions are getting quite bad and . . . I don't know how much  
__longer I can hold out with the way things are, and I'm pretty  
__sure they're about to get worse. It's Vernon, he . . . there's a  
__look in his eyes, Padfoot . . . .  
__I just don't know what to do. _

_Your Godson,  
__Harry_

Harry rolled up the parchment and attached it to Hedwig's leg.

He opened the window, which he was quite grateful that his uncle hadn't thought to nail down, or put bars on yet. He looked down at his long time snowy companion and stroked her head. "Fly quickly, girl. I don't know how much time we've got . . . ." then tossed her out the window. He stared out into the night for a long time afterwards before going to bed.

**  
Seven a.m. **

Following yet _another_ long night of night terrors, Harry stumbled out of bed when his aunt pounded on the bedroom door and unlocked it from the outside. He threw on some of his 'Dudley castoffs' and then went downstairs to make breakfast for the Dursleys'.

After eating his ¼ of grapefruit, Harry took his chore list.

_Plant the new flowers in the flowerbed  
__Mow the lawn  
__Paint the fence_  
_Paint the garage door  
__Wash the windows_

"You'd better have this done by the time I get home boy, or else!" Vernon threatened.

Harry immediately went to work, knowing in his heart how serious that threat was. The sun rose higher and higher into the sky and began to beat down mercilessly upon him. It was only after a short time he relieved himself of his shirt.

The blazing sun had made quick work of his pale, fair skin early in the summer. Giving him terrible, painful sunburns initially, but these days all that remained was a wonderful, deep, golden tan from all his hard work. Plus his hair had lightened several shades from the sun.

The sun was unrelenting and often triggered dizzy spells from dehydration. But Harry couldn't let himself take many breaks. He had to complete the list before Uncle Vernon came home.

**  
Several hours later **

Harry had _just_ finished washing the windows and was about to put away the buckets when he'd heard, **SPLAT, SPLAT**.

His heart sank and he turned to see mud spattered all over the bay windows and Dudley hurrying inside as fast as his fat legs could carry him, laughing.

Harry groaned, then went over to wash them again. He was just starting the second one for the _second time_ when Vernon pulled in the drive. Harry's heart froze as his uncle's words from that morning echoed through his head.

A predatory look graced the bulky man's face as he charged over to his nephew. Harry knew it was going to be bad. Worse than it had ever been before . . . .

Vernon grabbed him by the back of his neck and dragged Harry across the yard and threw him through the front door.

Harry landed on the stairs upon his arm, which gave a familiar **CRACK** and pain lanced through out it. Harry had felt worse though, so he never took his eyes off his uncle. Rule #1 was to never take your eyes off your enemy.

"Boy, didn't I tell you to be done before I got home?"

"Yes, but . . ." Harry tried to explain, scrambling to get up.

**SMACK** Harry's cheek hurt from being backhanded, the force of the blow sending him staggering again.

"But nothing! Did you think you could get away with it boy?" Vernon questioned.

There was a wild gleam in his advancing uncle's eyes that the teen had not seen before. Harry knew right then, he was in a lot of trouble.

**  
That night **

Harry slowly returned to consciousness on the floor of his room, having passed out midway through his uncle's 'punishment.'

Something was nipping at his fingers. He slowly opened his eyes to see the blurry form of Hedwig, with a note attached to her leg. At first he couldn't remember what had happened; then he abruptly became aware of was massive amounts of pain radiating throughout his entire body as his mind woke up. Slowly, he attempted to move his arm without jostling any of the newly broken ribs, courtesy of Dudley's Smelting stick. He tried to reach to the parchment, but the pain overwhelmed him before he could obtain the letter, and the boy once more was lifeless, his hand falling on top of the snowy owl and leaving a bloody print.

Now, Hedwig was not like most wizard owls; on the contrary, she was much brighter, and quite protective of _her_ human. She knew he needed help and that the Muggles he lived with would never give it to him. She immediately flew back out into the night, the note on her leg unopened, to return from whence she came. She could sense that the two men there cared for her boy, much more than those _things_ he lived with now.

Hedwig knew they could aid her boy. They could make him better.

_**  
xXx**_

**  
Moony's Manor **

Sirius, who had been staying at Remus Lupin's ancestral family home, had been feeling like something was wrong all day. That something had happened. Presently, he couldn't sleep because of the awful feeling gnawing at him.

The note he'd gotten from Harry had shaken him, as it had Moony, who'd read the letter at Sirius's insistence. Both agreed that it seemed as though things were beginning to get unsafe for Harry at the Dursley's, because both men knew that Harry wasn't one to ask for help or complain. That if anything, Harry was one who typically played down things, so things at the Dursley's were most likely even worse than Harry had made them seem.

Sirius had wanted to immediately go and get Harry, but Remus had managed to talk him into popping in to visit the Dursley's, during the day, in two days. It had taken a lot of fighting and whining (Sirius) and being quite firm on Remus's part before they had agreed to that proposal; then they'd sent Hedwig back with a note informing Harry of the plan.

But ever since letting Hedwig go, there had been a dreadful feeling growing in the pit of Sirius' stomach that something was very wrong. He just couldn't sleep because of it, and he'd been up pacing because of it. Remus had stayed up in sympathy and because the noise Sirius made kept him awake.

Both jumped when something tapped at the window. Sirius quickly opened it and was shocked, yet at the same time on some level not, when he saw what was there.

"It's Hedwig! What's she doing back so soon?" That's when Sirius saw the parchment. "Remus, this is my note, and what's this handprint on her wing?" He questioned fearfully.

Remus's heightened senses had recognized the scent of blood immediately. "Sirius, that's blood, Harry's blood. He was injured enough times during his third year for me to recognize it right away."

"No. Please, God, no. That's it, Remus, we're going over there right now. Grab your wand."

This time, Remus didn't argue. One of his pack had been hurt and Moony wasn't going to stand for it.

"Wait, Padfoot, before you do anything stupid, there are wards around the house, so we can't just Apparate there."

"Do you know where the wards end?"

"Yeah, Arabella Figg's house."

"Then we have a plan then. Apparate to Arabella's, get to the Dursley's, get in, get Harry, get his stuff, get out as quick as we can, then take him home."

"Sounds good to me." Remus agreed, not wanting to argue. Plus he had to admit, it was a pretty simple plan. Now all they had to do was not get caught. But they were Marauders, highly trained experts in the field of being places they shouldn't be.

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xXx**_

**  
Earlier at the Dursley's **

Harry wasn't quite sure when, but at some point after Hedwig had left, Uncle Vernon had come back for another session.

He'd proceeded to whip Harry's bare back with his belt, the sharp edge cutting into his skin. It was soon a bloody mess. Vernon had then grabbed Harry around the middle of his upper arm and yanked him up. Harry had managed to control his screaming before then, but his uncle had not only grabbed Harry's broken arm and jostled his broken ribs, but Vernon also pulled Harry's arm out of the socket as well. His uncle ignored his scream of pain, as usual, dragging him down the hall. Dudley watched from his bedroom, snickering. Once they reached the stairs, Vernon tossed Harry down them. Harry tumbled down the stairs, bright colors flashed in his eyes as each broken bone hit a stair, there was a sudden sharp pain in his chest, and dark spots danced in his eyes as he teetered on the edge of consciousness once more. It was just getting too painful to stay awake, the darkness was just so inviting . . . . Harry only dimly heard Vernon Dursley storming down the stairs. He did register slightly more clearly the sensation of being slightly lifted and dragged to the cupboard under the stairs and thrown in, though he never really heard him clearly. Everything was muffled. He did, however, feel himself slamming into the ground on his freshly whipped back quite notably though, and his head cracking against the wall of the confined space. Then everything was silent, dark, and painless.

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xXx**_

**  
Somewhere along Privet Drive  
****A while later that night **

"Ouch!" a voice muttered. Then a few seconds later, "Hey! Don't poke me."

"Shhhhhhhhh! Will you be quiet, Sirius! Do you want to get caught?"

"Well if you wouldn't step on my foot, and then when I comment about it, poke me with your wand, yes, I would," Sirius informed him pompously.

Remus rolled his eyes. "How in the name of Merlin did we ever get pranks done at Hogwarts?"

"James."

"Oh, right."

"Now, which house is it again?"

"Number 4," Sirius told him, exasperated.

"Right, I knew that," Remus said, drawing himself up.

"Of course you did, Remy."

"Don't call me that. You know I hate that."

"That's why I do it . . ." Sirius stopped short, causing Remus to walk into him. "There it is, Moony . . . ."

Remus looked past his long time friend and saw for the first time the home of Harry Potter. In the moonlight, a ways off, was number four, Privet Drive, which now stood quiet and dark.

Sirius stared at the house, which he knew held his godson. He could still remember the first time he'd been to Privet Drive. It had been almost two years ago, right after Harry's 13th birthday, soon after he'd escaped from Azkaban . . . .

_**  
Flashback **_

_**Surrey, England  
**__**After Sunset **_

_Sirius Black had known that he should immediately get on his search for that traitorous, scumbag Peter, but he just had to see **him**. Sirius just had to have a glimpse of the boy who he was **supposed** to be raising. The little boy who had always had an easy grin, messy jet-black hair, and emerald green eyes that had always been able to persuade his father and Sirius to give him anything he wanted. Sirius needed at least one look, in case he never got to see the boy again. He had to see what the baby he'd been taking up on his motorcycle had turned into, rides which to him seemed as though occurred just last week. He had to see which of Harry's parents the boy had grown up to look like, if Harry was still a mini-Prong with Lily's eyes. _

_So that was how he'd ended up in the alleyway on Privet drive, waiting, longing, for just one little glance, maybe two. When his canine senses picked up screaming coming from number four, he began to get worried. He could hear a man yelling, "COME BACK IN HERE! COME BACK AND PUT HER RIGHT!" Padfoot cocked his shaggy head. From the sound of things, Harry had done something to some and pissed his Uncle off. Padfoot knew he'd better get a closer look, and carefully got closer, staying in the shadows._

_Straining his senses, he could hear his godson's breathless response, and the boy sounded quite angry as well. _

_"She deserved it," Harry said, breathing very fast. "She deserved what she got." There was a moment of silence, then the muffled voice continued as it opened the door, "I'm going. I've had enough."_

_Light spilled out onto the night, quiet street, and Padfoot could hear his godson tugging a heavy object out the front door with all his might, Padfoot surmised it to be his trunk. Keeping to the shadows, he followed his godson, living up to his nickname of Padfoot and not making a sound. As he followed he wondered what could have happened to make Harry run away like he was. What had the Muggles done to make him so angry? But Padfoot couldn't dwell on that at the moment, there were too many other things to think about. Like the fact that his godson was walking before him. A boy he hadn't seen in 12 long, hellish years. _

_He still hadn't gotten a good look at Harry either. It was quite dark, and the street lamps didn't provide much illumination. _

_Padfoot hid in a nearby alleyway when Harry collapsed against a wall, several streets away from Privet Drive. The schoolboy was wheezing from the effort of dragging his heavy trunk, and Padfoot longed to go over and comfort him. Harry seemed completely lost, and he looked so bleak, which was killing Sirius. His desires to go and help Harry were mounting; he'd never been able to stand seeing Harry in any kind of pain. Padfoot's enhanced senses could hear Harry's breathing rate increase. He knew that meant Harry was starting to panic. And as he watched, the boy shivered, and looked up and down the street. _

_Padfoot fought an internal battle to control himself. What was he going to do? He couldn't just let Harry stay out here! He was only 13! A little boy! It was dangerous, plus Peter was on the loose free to get near to Harry at any time, not to mention all the Death Eaters . . . ._

_Movement from Harry shocked Sirius out of these thoughts; the adolescent had opened his trunk again and was digging around . . . when suddenly, he straightened, and looked all around the surrounding area. This made Padfoot's heart jump into his throat. Had Harry sensed him? James had always been able to as well. He slowly backed further between the garage and the fence. Harry bent back over his trunk, but then almost immediately stood up again with his wand clenched in his fist. The boy turned and looked into the alley where Padfoot hid. Padfoot was shocked. He **knew** he hadn't made any noise. The grim-like Animagus froze._

_"Lumos." Harry muttered, and a bright light appeared, almost blinding Padfoot, who wasn't ready for such a thing. He'd only been in darkness for many years._

_Harry stumbled backwards, his legs hit his trunk, and he tripped. As the boy flung his arm out to break his fall, his wand flew out of his hand, and he landed in the gutter. _

_Padfoot winced. The fall looked like a bad one. Then there was a loud **BANG**. Padfoot's heart was once again in his stomach as the Knight Bus appeared. Harry only just rolled out of the way in time. Ten seconds later, and he would have been flattened. _

_Padfoot watched the proceedings, and as Harry got on the Knight Bus, he knew somehow that this was for the best. Or at least he hoped it would be. At least this way, Harry was safe on his way to London, and Padfoot could concentrate on his hunt for the RAT._

_He watched until the Knight Bus disappeared with a **BANG**, then Padfoot darted off back into the night, to continue his search. He just hoped he could catch Peter quickly, to get his revenge, so the truth of that night would be known, and he could keep his promise to take care of Harry. He owed this to James and Lily. And to Harry. _

_**End of Flashback **_

"Sirius . . . Sirius . . . SIRIUS!" Remus hissed, trying to get his friend's attention. When his friend had seen the house, he'd gone into a trance like state. "Bugger, I knew this would happen one day. You've taken total leave of your senses, but of all the days . . . ."

"Wha - . . . Moony! You swore!" Sirius gasped.

Remus took a deep breath and counted to ten. They didn't have time to get into _that_ argument. "Sirius, I have been trying to get your attention for the past several minutes. Now that you're back in the land of the living, can we please discuss how the hell to get past these damn wards!"

"Oh, right, of course my good Moony . . . ," Sirius said complacently. "First a question, where do the wards for the house begin?"

"Around the yard, and driveway." Remus informed him, having been told a while ago by Dumbledore.

The two friends were already in the street next to the driveway, so they saw no reason to move.

"Alright then, ways to get through . . . ." Sirius was silent for a couple moments, and then turned to Remus. "Um, any suggestions?"

"Why do I have to come up with the way in?" Remus demanded.

"Cause you're typically the one who's read a book on the subject of whatever we're doing."

Remus was exasperated. "Padfoot, I have not read every book in the library."

"Could have fooled me. With the amount of time you spent there during school, and the number of books you have lining the walls and stacked on the floors at home . . . ."

Remus' eyes narrowed and he punched Sirius in the shoulder; he was very short-tempered when it came to his books. Sirius' jaw dropped, then he punched Remus in the shoulder back. "Hey!" With that, Remus shoved Sirius away from him. Sirius lost his balance, and fell onto the driveway of number four . . . .

Remus stared at his friend in amazement and cocked his head. "Huh, I guess the wards don't keep _us_ out. Just evil wizards."

"Ohhhhhhhh, _now_ you tell me," Sirius groaned from the ground where he lay.

"I'm not truly sure, and I'm just hypothesizing. It doesn't really matter presently, does it? Let's go get Harry." Remus instructed, helping Sirius up.

His determination rekindled, as he was briefly dazed after his fall on the concrete, Sirius was once again a man with a mission. "Right, Harry. Come on Moony. This has taken far too long. He needs us. Who knows how bad those Muggles have hurt him? He could be dying for all we know."

He had no idea how true those words were.

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Please, I want replies, I know it sounds pathetic, but I live for feedback, good or bad! I need to know what you think so I know where to go with this.

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	2. Discoveries

**Title**: Harry Potter and Regius de Astralis   
**Name**: Jules  
**Rating**: PG-15   
**Disclaimer**: Obviously, I don't own any of the characters, no matter how much I WISH I did. They belong to the wonderful J.K. Rowling  
**Classification**: (AU, Action/Adventure, Angst, Romance,)  
**Summary**: As Harry's fifth year looms, odd things begin to occur. Fleur returns to teach at Hogwarts too. What if Harry had a destiny not even Dumbledore knew of. A prophecy tells of a coming War and of a King who can deliver them all from evil with an heir of LaFay by his side to set wrongs right long ago committed. Harry, Fleur, Sirius  
**Status**: Unfinished

**Author's Note:** Thank you _so_ much to everyone who helped me with this chapter. And let me tell you, there was A LOT of help. I just **_couldn't_ **seem to write it! The words just weren't flowing. So a BIG thank you to: Vertex, Mirror-Star, and Sstar Luna who coached me through each step of the way. Another big thanks to my betas: Davy and Aleez.

**Harry Potter and Regius de Astralis**  
_By Jules_

_**Chapter 2  
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Sirius and Remus were finally at the house. It had taken a great deal of sneaking, and frankly, blatant fumbling as it had been years since they'd last gone 'marauding,' but they were inside.

The two Marauders hadn't been quite sure what the wards could and couldn't detect, so they had decided to use as little magic as possible. Sirius had attempted picked the lock to the front door using the Muggle method, which was a fallback any _true_ prankster knew.

Remus had been quite annoying while Sirius had been picking the lock too.

"Are you done _yet_?" the man questioned.

"No," Sirius told him through gritted teeth, "not quite . . . . While I'm working, why don't you tell me your plan for finding Harry once we get inside? You were just saying you had _such_ a brilliant one."

Remus was oblivious to his friend's sarcasm as he happily explained his plan. "Well, as you know, my senses are _far_ superior to those of an average human and that everyone has their own unique scent. So my plan is to find Harry using his scent!" He grew frustrated with Sirius' lock picking. "Alright, this has gotten ridiculous. Are you a wizard or not!" Remus pulled out his wand and muttered, "_Alohomora_."

Sirius pouted, but conceded that Remus was right. His mind just wasn't the same after Azkaban, and sometimes, Sirius forgot things. So he just sighed and threw open the door. Upon opening it, the two men were hit with the overwhelming scent of lemon cleanser.

Sirius shook his head to clear it, raising an eyebrow. "Yeah, Wolfman, you sniff him out boy. Take a real big whiff of **_that_**."

Meanwhile, Remus' eyes were tearing up and he was wheezing because of all the chemicals. Finally he was able to catch his breath. "For the love of Merlin . . . I have never been so overpowered with cleanser in my life . . . not even the time you and James had to clean all the bathrooms in Hogwarts by hand!"

Sirius scowled at Remus for being reminded of that punishment. "That wasn't kind of you to remind me of that. I had managed to repress that incident up until now . . . . You know, McGonagall could have taken that prank much better than she did . . . ."

"Sirius, you two made Snape sing love ballads to her non-stop for a week seventh year before Valentines Day."

"Ah, yes, that was one of my favorite pranks . . . . Didn't you just love the harp he carried around? Who ever knew Snape could play!"

"Yes, that was quite a shock . . . but we've gotten totally off track once more!" Remus hissed.

"Right, the mission. Find Harry boy! Go, fetch!" Sirius ordered Remus, as if _he_ were the dog.

Remus narrowed his eyes and made a sound quite suspiciously like a growl.

Sirius didn't even blink; he just nodded his head towards Remus. "After you, professor's first." Remus began to go in when Sirius quipped, "Besides, age before beauty."

The noise that came from Remus subsequently, Sirius was quite sure was a growl and he'd never seen Remus' eyes flash gold _quite_ like that before . . . . After that occurrence, Sirius decided it would be wise to shut up. Plus now that they were inside the house, they needed to be quiet, so as not to wake the Dursleys.

Sirius carefully shut the door behind them and looked around, taking in the layout of the main floor. Remus meanwhile was getting used to the scent of lemon cleanser, which was fading into the background.

"How are you doing?" Sirius questioned Remus. Knowing that his friend's sense of smell really _was_ the quickest way to find his godson.

"Better . . . I'm managing to pick up other things now . . . ." Remus informed him evasively.

"Things like _what_, Moony?" Sirius demanded, catching on. He grew rigid and felt guilty for their lighthearted bantering just moments before.

Remus swallowed, he knew Sirius would not react well to this. His own wolf inside was bouncing off the walls in fury. "Blood . . . pain, anger . . . ."

A myriad of emotions flashed on Sirius' face. Remus barely was able to catch them all: anger, sadness, guilt, frustration, anger again, and finally it settled on desperation.

"We have to find him, Moony. We have to find him now. Please, we have to, we just have to find him right away."

Remus nodded his head somberly.

The thorough cleaning job, with industrial strength cleansers, had done its job. Practically wiping away any trace of the incidents that which had occurred so recently in this innocent looking home. Not to mention wiping away traces of one small teenage boy-hero, who was supposed to have lived there.

As Remus and Sirius diligently looked about the landing area of number four, they were chilled to see no signs at all that their precious Harry lived there. Not a single photo from the boy's childhood, not an object that could be from his school…

Remus and Sirius shared a looked, and with just their eyes in an ability reached from years of marauders, silently agreed to first check the bedrooms upstairs.

The two softly crept up the stairs. They went in a counter-clockwise search pattern. Upon opening the door to their immediate right, they discovered a large, nice room, full of things, which had an enormous lump sleeping on the bed. It was very obviously not Harry's room. Closing the door, they went to the next door, which turned out to be a bathroom. The next room was frilly and flowery and quite obviously not occupied. Before they could even open the next door, a loud snore emitted from behind the door. Snores that were quite impossible to belong to a fourteen-year-old boy. Finally, they were at the last door. Upon opening it, they found an empty room, with broken toys on the shelves and floor. It was smaller than all the other rooms, but it was evident someone had been occupying the room recently.

Remembering what Harry had told him about his secret hiding place, Sirius checked the floorboards under the bed. Sure enough, a loose one lifted up revealing Harry's prize possessions: his invisibility cloak, his wand, his photo album, and then there was a pillowcase of textbooks.

Sirius handed these items to Remus then frowned, looking around the room. It was obvious that Harry had been there at some point since returning for summer holidays, since his things were hidden, and Hedwig's cage was in the corner . . . but where was Harry? He silently communicated his growing fear to Remus, who had a similar frightened look emerging upon his face. Remus shrunk Harry's things and put them in his pocket. With a jerk of his head, he signaled that they should leave the room.

Where was Harry? It was the question upon both their minds.

The two friends decide to return to the main floor, where they stood in the hall, for several moments, mulling over where Harry could possibly be. It was then Remus started hearing the faint noise. He wasn't sure what it was and thought it best to ask Sirius if he heard the odd noise as well.

"Did you hear that?" Remus whispered.

"Hear what?" Sirius questioned worriedly.

"That noise, it sounds like it's coming from, from the cupboard under the stairs!" Remus hissed, eyes going wide.

Sirius froze in horror. With a few large steps approached the door, which he noticed was _locked_ from the outside. "Oh god…."

Tossing open the lock and throwing open the door Sirius discovered what he had been searching for . . . and the sight made him physically ill.

"No, hell no. Harry…" Sirius dropped to his knees beside the cot in the tiny cupboard, tears filling his eyes. "Why?…How? Remus, look what they did to Prong's boy. Look what those _bastards_ did to my little boy."

Remus stood in the doorway, gazing in abject horror at the sight before him. The child James and Lily had trusted them to protect had been beaten to a bloody pulp. His arm lay at an odd angle and if the desperate wheezing was a sign of anything, Remus would swear the teen had broken ribs, possibly a punctured lung.

A sob worked its way out of Sirius' throat, as he hesitantly gathered the slight figure in his arms. "Oh Remy, it's all my fault. It's all my fault! I never should have gone after Peter. I should have known something was wrong sooner. Look what's happened. How could they do something like this to him!"

"It's not your fault Sirius, none of this. And . . . and I don't know how they could have done this?" Remus choked out, taken a deep breath he calmed himself. "But we don't have time for this, we need to get him help, _now._ Listen to his breathing Sirius, he can't be getting enough oxygen."

Sirius nodded furrowing his brow, concentrating on the situation, "Right. (**SNIFF** Help…. We need to go somewhere safe, somewhere people can't get to him . . . ." Sirius looked up at Moony with serious pain filled eyes. "Damn it, we need to take him to, Grimmauld Place. My father put more protection spells on that place than Hogwarts has."

Remus nodded his head in agreement; he knew what a big deal it was Sirius suggesting going _there_. Plus, Harry was Sirius' godson and Remus would go along with what Sirius wanted for the boy.

Out of the corner of his eye, Remus noticed Harry's trunk was also in the cupboard and he immediately shrunk it and put it in his pocket with Harry's other things.

"Alright Sirius, we'll go to Grimmauld…but you're going to have to give me Harry. You can't be seen." Remus calmly told him.

Sirius made a whining noise and held Harry closer to him. That shifting of Harry's body proved to be a mistake, for a moment later Harry's breathing grew more erratic and the gasping became desperate.

"Sirius, give him to me, _now_. His breathing is worse, I don't think he's getting much air, we need to go immediately!" Remus ordered softly, but firmly.

Sirius without delay handed his godson gently over to his friend and transformed into Padfoot. He scrambled out of the closet and went to the door and began whimpering. Remus strode after him, gliding across the floor in a smooth motion inconceivable to Sirius. Remus opened the door and they hurried to the area from where they came. There being no time to delay or worry about the consequences, Remus performed a very dangerous and very illegal group apparition to the sidewalk in front of Sirius' childhood home. It was impossibly to apparate or disapparate directly into it. With Padfoot leading the way, the frantic duo hurried into the run down home. Upon entering, Sirius immediately transformed back into his normal self and took back possession of his Godson.

"Go find a trustworthy healer, _now_." Sirius ordered. "We'll be in my old room."

Remus nodded and left (to disapparate) to find a healer.

With Remus gone, Sirius and Harry were on their own, a fact which made Sirius absolutely frantic. He had no idea how to help his Godson . . . James had to hate him wherever he was. Gathering his wits, Sirius rushed Harry's limp, gasping form up to his old childhood bedroom. Laying Harry on the bed, the first thing Sirius did was pull out his borrowed wand and immediately perform a thorough cleaning charm, which cleaned every inch of his bedroom and got rid of every single speck of dust, dirt, and cobweb. His attention went back to his godson, who was now lying on top of a clean made bed.

Sirius fell to his knees once more; weakened by the thought that he might lose Harry. Sirius takes Harry's least injured looking hand in his own.

"Come on, Harry, don't leave me, you're all I've got. Moony will be back soon with a doctor, please Harry."

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Please, I want replies, I know it sounds pathetic, but I live for feedback, good or bad! I need to know what you think so I know where to go with this.

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